There are many different styles of dresses. We’ve all seen the floaty maxi dresses, the pretty summer dresses and the long, sweeping evening gowns, and we’ve all heard of a cocktail dress; but what exactly is it?

Well no doubt you’ve all seen the famous Pretty Woman scene where Julia Roberts goes shopping for a cocktail dress and comes back with an exquisite red dress. But the idea of exactly what a cocktail dress is has changed over time, so let’s take a quick look at what a cocktail dress is and its history.

The length of a cocktail dress today varies—it can be a short, glitzy dress that’s perfect for the dance floor or a longer, 50s style dress that you’d wear to a wedding or event. Previously cocktail dresses have been longer, either ‘tea length’ where the dress falls to just above the ankle or ‘ballerina’ length, where the dress falls to the ankle. Anything longer is generally considered to fall into the evening gown category.

Cocktail gowns in the mid-20th century were determined by the fullness of the skirts—the more sumptuous, the better. The fullness of the skirt made the dresses suitable for balls and other black-tie events.

The term ‘cocktail dress’ was coined by Christian Dior, who used it to describe his range of early evening wear, way back in the 1940s, so cocktail dresses have been around for a while, and as you might expect they are a wardrobe staple for women everywhere.

Today, cocktail dresses can mean a number of things—they are generally determined by a fitted, formal style that can vary in length. Cocktail dresses don’t tend to be as formal as they once were, and shorter styles are popular for women going on nights out or to parties and are often referred to as prom style dresses rather than cocktail dresses. You can find a great range of them online if you visit www.very.co.uk/ and you’ll find the perfect cocktail dress to suit you! They carry brands such as Miss Sixty, Pepe Jeans, Morgan De Toi, French Connection, among others.

Xernan Orticio’s collection for Holiday 2011 represents the Byzantine architecture—specifically that of church interiors and structures. It’s also inspired by female saints during such era. The ensemble features tailored evening dresses in relaxed nude and nougat off-white colours. Some dresses have glistening gold embellishments, bejewelled with sparkly crystals of drop-shaped and cubic type. Others were layered with unstructured jackets and vests. Sheer chiffon bottom softens the whole rigid look.

Combined with precise cutting details and layering, my fashion offering for this season pays tribute to the sacred forms and icons of this era. – Xernan Orticio

It’s a bit tricky for me to tell whether I could exclusively classify the whole collection as Byzantine or not, but the style really looks that of clergymen at first sight. It looks a bit costume-y to me (think of sci-fi battleship uniforms), albeit I’m digging the one depicting a cross symbol upfront. The long shift dress shown at the latter part would probably be the one I least liked on the collection. The model was having a hard time walking whilst wearing it. On a brighter note, most of the pieces are neatly tailored to perfection.

Xernan Orticio Holiday 2011 in pictures

“My latest collections are all about being provocative, sexy and glamorous,” says Veejay Floresca about his Holiday 2011 collection. Truly, his Sex and Black collection imbibes the daring and captivating feel inspired by the film Burlesque. Fabrics used are mostly of separates in chiffon, tulle and lace in black and grey hues. Styles are distressed, some with full beadwork and feathery accents.

Now tell me if this does somewhat remind you of TRON? My friend and I concurred with the idea (we’re closet geeks btw, LOL). Apart from the lacy garments, the geometric shapes and symbols neatly stitched with the sheer fabric really look futuristic, and well, a little bit TRON’ish. On the other hand, it somewhat reminds me of contemporary architecture we see in deconstructivist buildings. I personally love the lacy bodice jacket. The lacy bondage dresses also look really enthralling and sexy.

Along came the white bustier ball gown with fluffy fringed tulle bottom accentuated by a black belt ribboned on the waist as a contrast to the previous pieces, which looks to me like a wedding gown material.